Oregon Ducks Ranked No. 23—But Why?

The Oregon Ducks football team jumped back into the national rankings, landing at No. 23 on the AP Poll.

This has many asking, “Why?”

Are the Ducks overrated? Are they are on the verge of running the table and winning their remaining four games? These games include Cal, Stanford, Arizona, and Oregon State—none of which are gimmes in the Pac-10.

The Ducks had a highly touted secondary before the season started—yet their pass defense currently ranks 108th nationally.

They have had several injuries at the QB position, and those who have played have been sporadic at best. I will say it does look as if Jeremiah Masoli is coming into his own and just may be the leader this team needs.

Oregon can and will run over you—oh, how they can run over you. They are ranked fifth in rushing offense. However, any defense who stacks seven and eight men up front and stops the run has a pretty good chance at stopping the 79th-ranked passing offense.

Now, the meat of the “why” is this: Oregon’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of 9-36. Their losses have come against teams with a combined record of 12-1.

Plainly put, Oregon has not proven themselves against worthy opponents.

If Oregon can travel to Cal and beat the Bears in Memorial Stadium, I’d say the Ducks make a more compelling case for cracking the Top 25. Until then, I still have to ask, “Why are the Ducks ranked No. 23?”